[08:42] Rhiannon Chatnoir: If you joined us late, please still introduce yourself!

[08:42] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Bulaklak ...

[08:42] bulaklak: Hi, folks! Happy Friday.

[08:43] Glitteractica Cookie: Hello Bulaklak

[08:43] Zinnia Zauber: Rah bulaklak!

[08:43] bulaklak: Today's announcement is a refresher on the very cool Windows 8 Apps for Social Good Contest

[08:43] SarvanaHaalan: woot... It's Purple Friday in Baltimore

[08:43] Glitteractica Cookie: Go Ravens

[08:43] bulaklak: Happy Purple Friday

[08:43] bulaklak: Microsoft has teamed up with NetSquared to support you in generating apps for nonprofits and activists on the Windows Marketplace. The Contest is about YOUR great ideas and projects, and we’re here with tools, resources, and incentive prizes to get (and keep) you going.

[08:44] bulaklak: The prizes total $40k, with two $15kk top prizes and one $10k audience chaoice prize

[08:44] Glitteractica Cookie: APss can be mobile apps phone apps, web apps of games .. as long as they are social benefit focused

[08:44] Glitteractica Cookie: Apps, I meant

[08:45] SarvanaHaalan: I shared the info at a local TechBreakfast on Wednesday

[08:45] bulaklak: Yay, Sarvana!

[08:45] bulaklak: Thank you

[08:45] bulaklak: Lots more info here at this link: http://bit.ly/QKexib

[08:45] CarynTopiaSilvercloud: oh, so if it is an iphone app, it is okay?

[08:51] SarvanaHaalan: ok... I will be signed on to help with the HIV section :-)

[08:51] bulaklak: Great!

[08:51] Glitteractica Cookie: Thanks all, That's all on my end too. Although if you want to RT to share the hackerhelper and the Win8 contest, look at the @netsquared twitter account or @caravanstudios twitter account

[08:51] Glitteractica Cookie: And more on Caravan Studios in the coming weeks

[08:51] Glitteractica Cookie: (Thanks Sarvana)

[08:52] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Thanks bulaklak and Glitteractica!

-- MENTOR'S CENTRAL --

[08:52] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Now on to Mentor's Central!

[08:52] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Today for Mentor Central we have ZiniaZauber to speak, let's welcome her up and please start whenever your ready.!

[08:52] Zinnia Zauber: Thank you!

[08:52] Gentle Heron: Go Zinnia.

[08:52] Zinnia Zauber: I have this saying that picked flowers never grow.

[08:52] Buffy Beale: yay Z

[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: In my state, you can not pick trliliums.

[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: So, today!

[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: I want to talk about Picks!

[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: A pick is a location in a resident's profile that they have chosen to display. Some Residents have used picks to display things other than locations, such as favorite snapshots. Each Resident can create up to 10 picks in their Profile.

[08:54] Zinnia Zauber: That is what the SL wiki says.

[08:54] Coughran Mayo: so it must be true

[08:54] Buffy Beale whispers: lol C

[08:54] Zinnia Zauber: When we look at people's profiles, you can see info about them and their Picks.

[08:55] Zinnia Zauber: Do you use Picks to market what you are doing in virtual worlds?

[08:55] Zinnia Zauber: Last week, iSkye talked about Events.

[08:55] Zinnia Zauber: And, I like to post Picks about events I am doing.

[08:56] Zinnia Zauber: Sometimes I keep them there as a source of pride or to help market an org.

[08:56] Zinnia Zauber: In the newer viewer, you set your Picks under the Me menu.

[08:57] Zinnia Zauber: You will find that it opens a window and if you click on the + you can add a new Pick!

[08:57] Zinnia Zauber: The Pick will be a Landmark and you can add info and a photo.

[08:58] Zinnia Zauber: Do you like to look at other folks' Profiles to get ideas of how you can participate more in SL?

[08:58] Gentle Heron: That, and how THEY participate!

[08:58] Zinnia Zauber: Yes!

[08:58] Zinnia Zauber: I learn a lot about someone based on their Profile.

[08:59] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes

[08:59] Zinnia Zauber: And, their Picks are very telling.

[08:59] Jen (jenelle.levenque): Found some marvelous places through picks

[08:59] Zinnia Zauber: Wonderful!

[08:59] Oronoque Westland: some picks reveal too much

[08:59] Zinnia Zauber: lol

[08:59] Zinnia Zauber: So true!

[08:59] SarvanaHaalan: lol

[08:59] Zinnia Zauber: Well, I want to encourage you all to add some Picks to your profile.

[09:00] Zinnia Zauber: And, help everyone grow more and more here.

[09:00] Oronoque Westland: picks are great, just some need to be left for one's personal aaccount, not the non-profit one

[09:00] SarvanaHaalan: I went over the limit I think.... LOL, LOL

[09:01] Gentle Heron: True, Oro, and remember that "personal messages" in your Picks also contain a LM, so people can TP right into your boudoir should you make one there with your newest flame.

[09:01] Zinnia Zauber: Yes, it is hard to be limited. But that is a chance for creative curation.

[09:03] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Last week, we began a discussion on relevant future trends in technology, which included augmented reality, big data, crowdfunding and gamification. We didn't get all the way through the topics we hoped to touch on, so consider this the part 2 of that.

[09:03] SarvanaHaalan: helps to direct traffic... smiles

[09:04] Rhiannon Chatnoir: We will be picking up, where we left off and will go over topics such as alternate input devices, 3D printing and the 'internet of things' and discuss how these innovations could be used for organizations.

[09:04] Buffy Beale: thanks Z

[09:04] SarvanaHaalan: wooot, the spotlight

[09:04] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Again, any one of these topics could be a full presentation - so this is really just a brief intro.

[09:04] Rhiannon Chatnoir: I invite you to all contribute with your comments as I go along and maybe this can also be a brainstorm session on thinking how these various technologies could be used to further your org's mission or initiatives.

[09:04] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and feel free to take photos - since I will be doing a lot of typing

[09:05] Rhiannon Chatnoir: So lets continue with...

Internet of Things

[09:05] Rhiannon Chatnoir: The Internet of Things (sometimes shortened to IoT) is a wave in the connection of devices and objects that are able to connect to the internet, this is everything from a myriad of "smart" electronics, to new cars and even refrigerators.

[09:05] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Anything with the capability to receive a wifi signal can use the power of the internet to add functionality and access info.

[09:05] Rhiannon Chatnoir: This means objects embedded with sensors gaining the ability to communicate and connect to the internet, or each other, through technologies such as wifi, bluetooth, mesh networks, etc.

[09:06] Rhiannon Chatnoir: In which you could possibly control everything in your homes and offices, from temperature, lighting and security to using devices to brew cups of coffee, program entertainment, check health records, and conduct a myriad of other tasks.

[09:06] Rhiannon Chatnoir: some ways for devices to connect:

- home or mobile wifi connection

- through bluetooth

- through mesh networks

[09:06] Rhiannon Chatnoir: If you are unfamiliar with what a mesh network is, a good example is the One Laptop per Child computers.

[09:06] Rhiannon Chatnoir: They could network with each other via self-creating a local mesh network and if at least one of the laptops within that cluster could connect to the internet, the others could utilize that connection through the chain of mesh connected laptops.

This could allow a whole village of children to network with each other and collectively access the internet.

[09:07] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Some examples of network enabled devices being used for medical devices:

[09:07] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Sensors are being embedded in things like pacemakers to relay information back to health providers that can be analyzed.

[09:07] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Pill shaped micro cameras can be swallowed and send back thousands of images of the digestive track to help diagnose illness.

[09:07] Fido Fudo: wow

[09:08] CarmenLittleFawn: awesome

[09:09] Rhiannon Chatnoir: There is also the using data gathering devices and services to measure and record.

[09:09] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Devices like Nike+, FitBit, Zeo, and even digital pedometers all are examples of this. There are phone apps you can download that can keep track of your physical level of movement, your temperature and vitals and devices like this are beginning to be used to help monitor and diagnose in remote areas of the world, where doctors might not be as readily available, but nurses or locals with some medical training can use.

[09:09] Rhiannon Chatnoir: How this could relate to the virtual world:

[09:09] SarvanaHaalan: only your imagination limits you

[09:10] Rhiannon Chatnoir: You can also apply some of this here in a virtual world...

[09:10] Hour Destiny: Open source hardware like the Arduino and the LilyPad (for use in fabrics) is also growing.

[09:10] Rhiannon Chatnoir: If you had an internet enabled light switch, you could log onto a web or virtual interface, and turn off your lights in your virtual room, which would turn off your lights at home.

[09:10] SarvanaHaalan: think it, then build it

[09:11] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes Hour, we touched upon crowdsourcing last week.. if you search Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo you will see a lot of projectings looking for funding that are networed devices like these

[09:12] Rhiannon Chatnoir: any other thoughts before I move on to the next topic :)

[09:12] Oronoque Westland: my in-laws were trapped in their car when the computer failed and it controlled the locks...some of thi quite frankly is scary, even though I love my PC

[09:13] Hour Destiny: I wish there was more opportunites for beta testing these things.

[09:13] Rhiannon Chatnoir: definitely safety in both operation and data security are important

[09:14] Rhiannon Chatnoir: lets move on...

Alternate Input Devices

[09:14] Rhiannon Chatnoir: We are all very familiar with the keyboard and mouse and how these are seen as standard devices to interface with your computer.

[09:14] Rhiannon Chatnoir: You use a mouse to move a cursor around a screen and a keyboard to type in input / data.

[09:14] Rhiannon Chatnoir: But there are more and more ways to interface with technology and the internet, including countless hardware and software interface technologies for those where a standard mouse or keyboard and mouse is not usable or the best option.

[09:15] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Enter the age of innovative game systems like the wii and xboxkinect that began using body movement as a mainstream way of interfacing with the games

[09:15] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and also the take off of tablet computers by Apple and others that allows position and movement of the device itself, as well as swiping and pinching gestures to control them.

- Brain-computer interface - meaning using your brain to control a device or computer. You think about moving something and it moves.

[09:15] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Uses for social or medical good:

[09:16] Hour Destiny: There's a Windows version of Kinect.

[09:16] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Using alternate input devices for assistive technology - hardware or software solutions that allow users with mobility impairments to interact with a computer without using a standard mouse or keyboard.

[09:16] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Examples include speech recognition software, on-screen keyboards, word prediction software, scanners and switches, and other technologies that allow users to control computers with their head, eyes, breath, or feet.

[09:16] Fido Fudo: There is a lot of potential for that kind of technology to assist the disabled.

[09:17] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and I am sure Gentle or others from Virtual Ability can weigh in on that

[09:17] CarmenLittleFawn: mmhmm

[09:17] Rhiannon Chatnoir: There is also a wave of brain controlled input devices, headsets such as Emotiv and Neurosky that can be used to 'think' your input.

[09:20] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): @Hour, Any sense of how effective it is in daily use?

[09:20] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes making accessible technology for the disabled and others has fueled a lot of innovation in alternate input devices

[09:20] Gentle Heron: Jerry, we have folks in our community who control their computers and their SL entirely with eye gaze. So for them, highly effective!

[09:20] Hour Destiny: IIRC, it works okay enough but people might feel self-conscious.

[09:21] Zinnia Zauber: Cool!

[09:21] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and an example of a brain implanted chips/interface a quadriplegic woman gained full control of a robotic arm: http://gizmodo.com/5968979/woman-gains-full-mind-control-of-robotic-arm-just-like-in-star-wars

[09:21] Rhiannon Chatnoir: How this could relate to the virtual world:

[09:21] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): I know that eye/gaze tracking has had military application for some time. Just didn't know how much of that has made it to the consumer market.

[09:22] Rhiannon Chatnoir: I think alternate devices like the Wii and Kinect really made the consumer market really rethink things

[09:22] Rhiannon Chatnoir: There have been explorations into using gestural devices like the Kinect to control your avatar and even hackable tools such as "Darwin remote" to use a Wii controller as a mouse to move your avatar around.

[09:23] Hour Destiny: One of the latest military jets allows pilots to change the info they get from their HUDs by looking in a different directions. It's as though they can see through the side of the cockpit no matter the direction.

[09:23] Rhiannon Chatnoir: I have used this method at mixed reality events, you can get the 'crowd' to move the inworld avatar and camera view

[09:23] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): @Rhiannon, That development in implantable devices is really exciting when you consider merging this with wireless control capability...

[09:24] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes, connecting that concept of networked devices with this

[09:24] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and another interesting use in virtual worlds:

[09:24] Rhiannon Chatnoir: The artist/activist/professor Joseph Delappe also used a treadmill as an input device to embody the avatar of Gandhi and perform over a period of time a 240 mile march about Second Life by when he walked on the treadmill, his avatar walked in the virtual world. http://www.delappe.net/game-art/mgandhis-march-to-dandi-in-second-life/

[09:25] Rhiannon Chatnoir: he physically walked Gandhi's march in real life and in the virtual

[09:25] Fido Fudo: wow

[09:25] CarmenLittleFawn: OM goodness love that

[09:25] Rhiannon Chatnoir: so let's move on to the last topic for today -

[09:26] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): I know we're bouncing back and forth a bit in our focus, but here's an interesting bit on gesture based interfaces I happened across recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fcMhZ9J0qN8

3D Printing

09:26] Rhiannon Chatnoir: this one is a bit more physical that the others :)

Making fabrication available for the masses and bringing 3D data into the physical world.

[09:26] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Though it has been around for awhile in super-expensive, large industrial usage, now it has reached a point where you can buy your own home 3D printer and begin to experiment.

[09:27] Rhiannon Chatnoir: We are starting to see 3D printing used for more medical applications as well, such as personalized prosthetics printed to exactly match and fit each person uniquely.

[09:27] SarvanaHaalan: much discussion and activity locally on 3-D printing

[09:27] Rhiannon Chatnoir: I got to see one of the leg prosthetics designed for the wearer I met

[09:27] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes

[09:27] Rhiannon Chatnoir: There is also a lot of early implementation of using 3D printing for custom transplant structure and bone. Last year the first synthetic jaw that was custom designed and 3D printed was successfully surgically transplanted.

[09:28] Rhiannon Chatnoir: We have also seen large scale usage of 3D printers to print architectural structures and houses: http://www.gizmag.com/d-shape-3d-printer/21594/

[09:28] Rhiannon Chatnoir: An example of this being used in the nonprofit sector:

[09:28] Rhiannon Chatnoir: There are nonprofits such as the Center for Greater Good (http://centerforgreatergood.com) that are beginning to work on developing pop up innovation centers around the world, where even a rural population could learn to engineer and print any needed components.

[09:28] Glitteractica Cookie: fascinating

[09:29] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Also, museums are using 3D printing to replicate artifacts, fossils and other models in their collections. (a great webinar video from NMC on using 3D printing in museums: http://www.nmc.org/news/printing-and-re-mixing-museum-3d).

[09:29] Jen (jenelle.levenque): With internet you could email a water pump then they could print it out and put it to work

[09:29] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Autodesk is working with the Leaky family to bring their paleontological models to real life and even help calculate the rest of the bone structure and print a full model

[09:29] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes

[09:30] Rhiannon Chatnoir: How can 3D printing relate to the virtual world:

[09:30] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Through sites like Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/) virtual world artists and 3D builders have begun to make their virtual creation become real by printing them out in 3D.

[09:30] Rhiannon Chatnoir: One example is the early SL'er Seifert Surface who is also a PhD mathematician and professor who often built in Second Life geometric figures hard to imagine or see in the physical world.

[09:30] Rhiannon Chatnoir: When sites like Shapeways began to pop up, he crossed over to using it, by exporting some of his models, cleaning them up in 3D software like Blender, and uploading them.

Now you can buy a physical replica of some of his mathematic visualizations: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/henryseg

[09:31] Rhiannon Chatnoir: so something as intangible as a mathematical model, visualized in a virtual world, made real

[09:31] Rhiannon Chatnoir: and an example of an Avatar made real:

[09:31] Ozma Malibu: 3D printing has been used in art for a long time. Dan Collins, a professor at ASU, was one of the first & there was an international conference on 3D printing and art here in AZ this year.

[09:32] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes - it isn't new per se.. just getting more affordable to use/explore the possibilities of

[09:32] Rhiannon Chatnoir: You can also view an example of the machinima maker DraxtorDespres offering up a 3D model of one of his machinima characters Flufee: http://www.shapeways.com/model/581161/flufee.html?li=productBox-search

[09:32] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): A key facet of all this is that once an object can be digitized/converted into data, you gain the ability to adjust its design. Then you can send it to 3D printing device or service to have it created.

- http://www.123dapp.com/ a collection of free apps from Autodesk that you can use to create 3D models and even convert photos into 3D models (123D Catch)

- Shapeways - a print on demand 3D printing store, you can also create your own shop of uploaded 3D models and offer up items for sale in your own store that people can order and shape ways will print. http://www.shapeways.com

[09:35] Rhiannon Chatnoir: These are all also important and great places to start brainstorming and implementing technology!

[09:35] Rhiannon Chatnoir: And, keep in mind, the internet and technology are ever evolving, but hopefully this has been an overview that will be useful so that when you are reading, thinking and working on implementing technology plans for your org or other projects, you have a baseline of knowledge.

[09:35] EthelredWeatherwax: It would be nice to get discounts on 3D printers from Tech Soup. Any chance of that happening?

[09:41] Hour Destiny: When they start showing up at nonprofit conferences, then they will have "arrived".

[09:41] Rhiannon Chatnoir: so there is a lot of eyes on where 3D printing is going

[09:41] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes

-- OPEN MIC & ANNOUNCEMENTS --

[09:41] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Ok lets move on to Announcements

[09:41] Rhiannon Chatnoir: It's time for Open Mic!

[09:41] Serene Jewell: There are many social issues that will spring up from these technologies - for example, if a device can monitor your health, your insurance company can raise your rates on a month by month basis if they think you are doing something unhealthy or spending time in an unhealthy neighborhood

[09:42] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): I also think a 3D printer might be more relevant if your organization focuses on creation of helpful devices....

[09:42] Dancers Yao: Do you know if any of these new tech interface possibililites could be added to things like Shelter in a Box, for people who are homeless?

[09:42] BrenaBenoir raises hand for Open Mic

[09:42] Rhiannon Chatnoir: not sure Dancers, but a good question.. maybe we can look into that

[09:43] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Ok Brena

[09:43] Gentle Heron also raises hand for Open Mic

[09:43] Dancers Yao: ok thanks

[09:43] Tori Landau raises hand too for Open Mic °͜°

[09:43] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): sorry, have to step away... afk

[09:43] Rhiannon Chatnoir: Brena ready when you are

[09:44] BrenaBenoir: I'm going to a cut and paste here to make it easier

ARTC is an amazing RL program run by SL residents which helps children with substance abuse issues use creativity to learn to express themselves in positive ways, building a foundation for a successful life free of drugs and alcohol. ARTC has used the virtual world to showcase the kids' RL artwork, which deals with some very serious topics. You can read more about the program here: http://www.pfh.org/artc/.

[09:45] Buffy Beale: wow nice one Brena

[09:45] BrenaBenoir: Winter Nightfire is curating a fundraiser for a PFHARTC program and this pertains the reason and purpose

[09:45] BrenaBenoir: ART HOUSE and its unique contents can all be yours if you are one of 3 winners of the drawing! To enter, click on the art supplies next to the stage and make a 250L donation to ARTC, for which you will receive a special gift of art or decor for your home or favorite place in SL. You may enter as many times as you wish -- your chances get better with each donation and the gift will be different the first 5 times you enter!

[09:46] BrenaBenoir: Have a stroll through the house and reference the list of contributors and LMs you get when you arrive to find out where to get more art and housewares by these incredibly talented top creators of Second Life: Gwen Carrilon, Trill Zapatero, LuciellaLutrova, FuschiaNightfire, Nina Camplin, Aruba De Cuir, Nathan Babcock, Samara Furse-Barzane, RikZwiers, Alba2 Rossini, PitschParx (For UrbanizeD), Zinnia Zauber, Cat Boccacio, CoughranMayo, MillySharple, Dixmix Source, Eynlight, Winter Nightfire.

[09:46] Gentle Heron: ohhhhh some really good artists there

[09:46] Zinnia Zauber: Yay!

[09:46] BrenaBenoir: The Lindens raised through this event will be turned into dollars and used to buy art supplies for the kids of ARTC, whose activities are also funded by Preferred Family Healthcare, a nonprofit organization in Missouri, USA. The premise is that anyone may enter to win the house and decor for a 250L donation to the program. When the donation is made, the entrant receives a gift of equivalent value, and his or her name will be put on a RL list kept by me and administrators of ARTC. From this list, the administrators (hopefully with help from some of the ARTC kids) will draw 3 names of entrants who win the whole home and its contents. The drawing will be videotaped and Youtubed so that everyone can see it is fair, legitimate, and fun.

Please send your friends to see this awesome collaboration on behalf of the kids of ARTC! There are lots of ways to take part in this month-long event: Gift tickets can be purchased (you can enter your friends too!), and you can come to the house and donate amounts other than 250, as well. Every Linden helps...Thank you for vising ART HOUSE, and Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Winter Nightfire and ARTC

[09:46] BrenaBenoir: sorry that last paragraph got cut off

[09:46] Rhiannon Chatnoir: thanks Brena :)

[09:46] SarvanaHaalan: nice

[09:47] Serene Jewell: cool

[09:47] BrenaBenoir: Opening mixer will be tomorrow from 12-3pmSLT if you would like to join us